Nut-lock.



P. W. DE TRAY.

NUT LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 25, 1907.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L J-wuc'nioc WWW??? Qftozncu F. W. DE TRAY.

NUT LOOK.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 25, 1907.

907,4? Patented pea 22, 1908.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

\ UNITED s'rnrns PATENT QFFIQE.

FLOYD WM. DE TRAY, OF'AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB. OF ONE-FOURTH TO HENRY BATTISFORE, ONE-FOURTH TO HENRY G. OSTERMAN, AND ONE-FOURTH TO FRANK H. DE TRAY, ALL OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Mir-Loon.

No. 9Q7,473.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

Application filed bctober 25, 1907. Serial No. 399,142.

To all whom it mag concern:

I Be it known that I, FLOYD W DE TRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new anduseful Nut- Lock, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in nut locks. e

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of nutlocks, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflicient One of great strength and durability, ada' ted to be readily applied to an ordinary olt without necessitating any alteration in the construction thereof, and capable of efiec-' tually preventing a nut from accidentally unscrewing, when subjected to vibration and rattling incident to its use on rail joints, machinery and the like. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a nut lock of this character adapted to permit the nut to be moved when desired.

without injury either to the nut or the bolt. With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in the construction and;

7 novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various c scope of the claims, may be resorted to without 'departin from the spirit or sacrificing an of the a vantages of theinvention. I

n the drawing :-Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional-view of a nut lock, constructed in Fig; Sis a longitudinal sectional view '0 nut lock, illustrating a modification of the invention.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the nut. Fig. 8 is a detail view ofthelock- 1 washer.

ike numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawn The struction, is adapted to receive a nut 2 of hexagonal or other form, provided at its inner face with an annular recess 3, surroundangesin the form, pro ortion, size and. minor details of constructlon, within the s. iolt 1, which is of the ordinary coning the bolt 0 ening 4, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of t e drawin s. The nut is provided beyond the annu ar recess 3 with an engaging face 4 which may be varied in width to secure the desiredstrength.

The nut is provided within the annular recess with a ratchet face, consisting of ratchet teeth 5 beveled at one side and shouldered at the opposite side, and adapted to be engaged by the ends 6 of springs 7 of a locking washer 8. The locking washer 8 has a thick heavy outer body portion, which is in the form of a rim or ring to correspond with the engaging end face 4 of the nut, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The locking washer is provided with a pair of springs 7, curved as shown, and connected'at points between their ends with the inner pe-= riphery of the locking washer. The connecting portions 9, which are integral with the springs and the rim, are located at points be-' tween the center and one end of each spring to form long and short engaging arms. The long resilient arms have their terminals bent outwardly for engaging the teeth of the ratchet face of the nut, and the short stiff arms are bent inwardly, and their terminals 10 enga e the surface against which the looking was er is placed. The terminals of the spring are shar ened and when the locking washer is placed a ainst a wooden surface, the short arms of t e springs are adapted to embed themselves in such surface to prevent rotary movement of the locking washer.

However, when the lockin washer is applied to a, metallic, or other har surface, the latter is hacked or roughened by a cold chisel, or other suitable means to enable the spring to engage the said surface Without slipping thereon. v

The inclined faces of the teeth are arranged .to permit the nut to be screwed in wardly on the bolt, and the shoulders are arranged to lie-engaged by the springs for looking the nut against retrograde rotation. The semi-circular springs and the webs or connectin portions 9 are relatively thin, and the said webs or connecting portions are s aced from the ratchet face of the nut and t e surface against which the washer is placed by the relatively thick body portion.

he pressure incident to the clampm action of the bolt and the nut is sustains by the rim of the locking washer and the springs are not subjected to the same,.so that they are not impaired by the strain or pressure to which the locking washer is subjected. The springs are capable of effectually preventing the nut from accidentally unscrewing when used on rail oints and moving parts of machinery. When it is desired to remove the nut, it may be unscrewed by heavy wrenching, which will bend back the long resilient arms of the springs Without injuring either the nut or the bolt.

In Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive of the drawings is illustrated a modification of the invention in which the ratchet teeth 11 of the nut 12 are arranged at the periphery of the nut in a circumferential recess, which forms an inner a11- nular engaging face 13, surrounding the bolt opening. 'lhe locking washer consists of an inner rim or body portion 14, and outer curved springs 15, which are formed integral with the inner rim or body portion 14, con necting portions 16 being located at the inner edges of the springs and at points intermediate of the ends thereof to form short stiff arms 17 and long resilient arms- 18. The terminals 19 of the long resilient arms are bent outwardly for engaging the teeth of the ratchet face of the nut 12, and the ends 20 of the short arms 17 are bent inwardly for engaging the face against which the body portion or rim of the locking washer is placed.

' The engaging face 13 of the nut corresponds with the inner rim or.bodyportion 14 of the lockin washer, and the operation of the nut lock illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive is the same as the form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

In each form of the invention the springs completely encircle the bolt, and their terminals engage the ratchet face of the nut and thesurface against which the washer is 'placed at each side of the bolt and at diametrically opposite points.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a nut lock, the combination of a nut provided with a ratchet face, and a locking washer composed of a relatively thick body portion and a relatively thin spring connected at an intermediate point of the body portion by a narrow web spaced from the ratchet face of the nut and the surface against which the washer-is placed by the relatively thick body portion, said spring consisting of 'a long resilient arm for engaging the ratchet face of the nut and a short stiff arm for engaging the surface against which the washer is placed.

2. In a nut lock, the combination of a nut provided with a ratchet face, and a locking washer composed of an annular body portion, and a pair of curved springs intermediately connected at the outer side with the inner edge of the body portion at diametrically I opposite points by narrow webs, to form long and short arms extending in reverse directions', the body portion surrounding the springs and the long arm of one spring being arranged contiguous to the short arm of the other spring.

3. In a nut lock, the combination with a nut provided with a ratchet face, and a look ing washer composed of an annular body portion, and a pair of semi-circular springs arranged concentric with the annular body por tion; and intermediately connected at one edge only with the same by narrow webs located at diametrically opposite points, said springs being arranged to completely encircle a bolt. and having their terminals bent in opposite directions to space them from each other, and engaging both the ratchet face and the surface against which the washer is placed at each side of the bolt and at diametrically opposite points.

4. In a nut lock, the locking Washer composed of a relatively thick body portion and relatively thin curved springs each connected near one end to the body portion by a narrow web located at the outer side edge of the spring and spaced from the ratchet face of the nut and from the surface against which the washer is placed by the relatively thick body portion, the inner side edges of the springs being free throughout their entire length, and each spring consisting of a long resilient arm for engaging the ratchet face of the nut and a short stiff arm for engaging the surface against which the washer is placed.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto allixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

. FLOYD WM. DE TRAY.

Witnesses:

H. I. STUBBs, R. C. CAYToN. 

